The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena (common name, Vervain) that is grown as an ornamental perennial and which is used in planters, hanging baskets or planted in the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Verbena canadensis and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘Miss Anne’.
Both prior to the inventor's discovery of ‘Miss Anne’ in 1992 and subsequently, the inventor, who is an experienced gardener and avid plant collector, had acquired or purchased from local and distant nursery and mail order sources, and had planted, a very large number of plants listed and described as perennial white Verbenas. 
‘Miss Anne’ was discovered by the inventor in 1992 in a cultivated area of Lincoln County, Miss. The inventor was impressed by the unusually large flowers which were pure white in color, and the overall vigor of the plant compared to all other white Verbenas known to the inventor. The inventor is unable to determine the parental provenance of ‘Miss Anne’ but does consider after making careful observations and enquiries over ten years that ‘Miss Anne’ is a novel and exceptionally useful plant variety whose properties are listed within the Summary of the Invention herein.
The inventor considers that the closest comparison plant in respect of the combination of qualities of ‘Miss Anne’ is Verbena canadensis ‘Homestead Purple’ (unpatented) which is renowned for its perennial reliability in the south-eastern landscape. Apart from the difference in flower color, ‘Miss Anne’ is distinguishable from ‘Homestead Purple’ primarily as follows: ‘Miss Anne’ has more numerous and larger sized flowers, and a darker green and finer textured foliage which grows and spreads rapidly.
When compared with other white Verbenas in commerce, specifically the following varieties: Verbena ‘Aztec White’ (Balazwhit, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,943), Verbena ‘Tortuga White’ (Tort White, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,193), Verbena ‘Tukana White’ (Blancena, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,219) and Verbena ‘Babylon White’ (Vertis, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,288), ‘Miss Anne’ exhibits two main differences:
First, ‘Miss Anne’ tolerates frost and has survived in temperatures of 18 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA Zone 8) whereas the varieties listed above are variously described as intolerant of temperatures below freezing point.
Second, the inflorescence (umbel) of ‘Miss Anne’ is significantly larger in diameter than the infloresence of any of the varieties listed above. The infloresence diameter of ‘Miss Anne’ is typically 80 mm, whereas the infloresence diameters of the above varieties ranges between 30 mm and 60 mm.
The first asexual reproduction of ‘Miss Anne’ was conducted by the inventor in 1992 or 1993 in a cultivated area of Baldwin County, Ala. The method used for asexual propagation was softwood stem cuttings. The characteristics of the new cultivar have been observed by the inventor for more than ten years and are considered by the inventor to be stable and to have been reproduced true to type in successive generations.